Warriors: The Fading Light ~Series 1 Book 5~

Chapter 25

Clearlight's POV:

As the sun rose, Clearlight trudged out of the Warriors den. His paws dragged on the ground and he yawned. A pang of hunger from his empty stomach made him flinch momentarily.

Throughout the past three days, prey had drastically decreased and hunting patrols were lucky to even catch the whiff of a mouse anymore. Clearlight sent out patrol after patrol but every time they came back with nothing. Even the Leaf-bare Hunting Grounds were empty.

Border patrols were rarely sent out more than once every two days and Clearlight was worried the other clans might take their territory if they didn't start strengthening their borders.

"Clearlight?" Dawnheart's voice whispered from behind him and he twisted around to face the grey and silver she cat. Her fur wasn't groomed well, her eyes were tired and her ears drooped. "Shall we send out the patrols?"

"Yes." Clearlight dipped his head and was about to raised his voice to call the other warriors out but Nutwhisker interrupted him.

"Silverstar lost a life!"

Clearlight gasped, "When?"

"Just past moonhigh!" Nutwhisker blinked his green eyes rapidly and leaned closer to Dawnheart and Clearlight, "She only has one left!"

Dawnheart reeled backwards with a shocked yowl, "One?! At this time? When both leader and deputy are sick and the rest of the clan is starving to death?!" She glared up at the sky, "Great Starclan we won't survive much longer of this."

Clearlight dipped his head solemnly, "But we will go down fighting if the worse does occur."

Nutwhisker spoke up, "We need catmint. Without catmint, every cat will die."

"But we don't have any catmint in our territory." Dawnheart meowed with a confused look at the medicine cat.

"Exactly. We need to look outside our territory." Nutwhisker twitched his whiskers.

"The other clans will never give us any herbs." Clearlight growled and unsheathed his claws. He didn't want to talk about herbs. He needed to send out the hunting patrols.

So they can waste their energy and bring back nothing? Clearlight's pessimistic side thought.

"Who said anything about giving?" Nutwhisker grinned. "I've planned it out. I know it's breaking the Warrior code but since Starclan isn't around anymore, we don't have to listen to them. We send a patrol of maybe three warriors plus me and Shinepaw-"

"Shinepaw? You're bringing your apprentice into this?" Dawnheart questioned with a nervous flick of her tail.

"It would be a great experience for her." Nutwhisker replied. "Anyway. The patrol would go into Monsterclan, since they haven't yet shown any aggressiveness to us, and steal some of their catmint."

"You know Nutwhisker," Dawnheart remarked. "Sometimes I really worry about you. You have a weird way of looking at things at times."

"But if it works, then everyone is saved." Nutwhisker retorted.

"But," Clearlight countered with a blunt expression, "if it doesn't work? We get attacked and killed by a Monsterclan patrol."

"It's worth the risk." Watersplash's voice sounded as she approached them. "Without catmint, we are doomed."

"Without prey we are doomed!" Clearlight yowled.

"Yes, but with catmint we can heal our sick and get more warriors hunting. Ever thought of that?" Watersplash raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Oh come on Clearlight. I know you want to do this."